It is being noticed that the building environment people live in does not fully correspond to the idea of harmony of the human and nature. That is the reason why the concept of sustainable design emerged and is now being developed. The conception implies that there should be an optimal balance between the natural environment and the artificial one. Also, renewable resources should be used in building to protect eco-systems from destruction.
According to Ewing, “confronted by a changing environment, we also must adapt, and we must do so quickly in order to achieve carbon neutrality by the year 2030.” Thus, it is worth considering, firstly, what the meaning of sustainable design will be in 2050, and, secondly, what the main drivers of sustainability are going to be there in Boston in the mentioned year.
The population of the United States tends to grow constantly. That is why when the sustainable design is discussed, it is worth bearing in mind that the number of citizens will increase significantly by 2050. Thus, firstly, compactness is going to be one of the cornerstones of building design. According to Ewing, it is possible to have enough space for living but, at the same time, use space rationally. Secondly, the use of energy resources that are renewed will be a significant point in constructing and maintaining homes as by 2050, the non-renewable ones may come to their end.
Further on, the production of materials nowadays consumes a lot of energy and makes much waste while corals are built by polyps by using calcium carbonate, and the side effects of the process are close to zero (Ewing). People may study this principle and adapt it to house construction. Moreover, 3D-printing may also become one of the leading technologies in sustainable design by 2050 as it costs much less than the current common ones.
To develop the idea of using natural ‘technologies,’ by 2050, humanity may adopt the principle of biomimicry. According to Benyus, it consists of the thorough study of natural processes in order to introduce new ideas to the building (1). This may be helpful both to save resources and harmonize the natural and artificial environments. Thus, less will be wasted, and a healthier environment will be created for citizens.
As for Boston of 2050, it is possible that the driving principle of sustainable design may become the merging of natural objects such as trees with artificial ones. It may be done to improve both the practical aspect of design and the ecological situation (“Mitchell Joachim: Don’t Build Your Home, Grow It!”). For Boston, it is especially important as the city suffers from pollution. Another driver may consist of settling the population in new places around the city. This idea is connected with the one of being close to nature expressed by Joachim. As Boston is overcrowded, this driver is possible to be one of the dominant ones by 2050.
To conclude, the meaning of sustainable design in 2050 may be the following: it will consist in using renewable energy resources, applying the principles of compactness and biomimicry to the building, and, also, reducing its cost by implementing the technology of 3D-printing. Another conclusion is that in Boston, by 2050, the main drivers of sustainable design are going to be the coexistence of the natural and the artificial in the same constructed objects and making the city expand by settling them from the center to the natural areas around Boston without damaging the environment.
Works Cited
Benyus, Janine M. A Biomimicry Primer. n.d. Web.
Ewing, Allison. “Vision 2020: Adapt and Prosper: The Building Industry Is at a Darwinian Crossroads. It’s Time to Evolve.” EcoBuilding. 2017. Web.
“Mitchell Joachim: Don’t Build Your Home, Grow It!” Archive, uploaded by TED.com. 2010. Web.